The Transition
by ThatStraightedgeGuy
Summary: Prince Wu's decision to abdicate and disband the monarchy has created an opportunity to change the Earth Kingdom for the better. However, it has also created a struggle within the nation as the citizens of the Earth Kingdom fight to create an ideal nation for themselves. The risk of revolution and civil war looms in a country that has spent the last three years as an unstable mess.
1. The Lead Up To Change

A/N: Here we go, my first crack at a Legend of Korra fic. As soon as Prince Wu talked about abdicating in the finale I knew that I just had to create this. That, and learning about the French Revolution. So yeah, I hope you all enjoy and I appreciate any constructive criticism that isn't 'lol u suck go die'. Thank you!  
P.S: Yes. There is Korrasami in this, but it isn't really the focus of the fic haha!

* * *

**A revolution without violence is laughable.**

"Hnnnnnng! Hnnnnnnng!"  
A young woman held her arms out in front of her, fists clenched. Her face was flushed red and she looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel. She finally relaxed and collapsed onto the wooden floor. Sprawled out and breathing heavily. The other woman in the room, who was roughly the same age was sitting at a desk, writing something down. She sighed and scratched her head.  
"You done Shao Jun?" she asked deadpan.  
"Pft, of course not!" Shao Jun replied before acrobatically standing up again.  
"Hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng! Hnnnnnnnnnng! Grrrrrrrrr! Arrrrrrrrgh!"  
Shao Jun's constant loudness was really grating for the other woman who was becoming increasingly irritated. She slammed her desk with her palms and stood up,  
"Shut up! There is no such thing as woodbending! Stop trying!"  
"Oh come on Shenhua! Have some faith in me!"  
Shenhua rubbed her temples in frustration and groaned. She pressed her forehead to Shao Jun's and poked her chest with every word to add emphasis,  
"We have been in this prison together for two and a half years, you have been trying to bend these wooden bars the entire time. With no success. Not even a tiny splinter. Accept that it is never going to happen. Accept that there is no such thing as woodbending!"  
"Way to crush my hopes and dreams Shenhua."

Shenhua sighed and returned to her desk. She rested her elbow on it and cupped the side of her head with her hand,  
"I know how much you like to eavesdrop on the guards. Any news from the outside?"  
Shao Jun scratched her head and rested against the wooden wall of the cell,  
"Not really, the last big piece of news was Kuvira's surrender."  
"Hm, that was a few months ago. It seems as though we still won't be released"  
Shao Jun sighed and slid down the side of the wall until she was sitting, "Why would they? Kuvira, mad dictator said that our ideas were 'dangerous', and that we were no better than Zaheer"  
Shenhua laughed and slouched in her chair, "I may like Zaheer for taking initiative, but that's where the admiration ends"  
"Oh, I am aware, but Kuvira and the other world leaders aren't. As far as they're concerned we are dangerous members of the Red Lotus"  
Shenhua smirked and looked over her shoulder, observing the sky through the small window of her cell, "I didn't even know who the Red Lotus were until I was thrown in here and met you. Fair trials don't exist in the Earth Kingdom"  
Shao Jun smiled and looked up at the roof of the cell, "Innocent until proven guilty. Isn't that in the thing that you are writing?"  
Shenhua looked at Shao Jun with a smirk, "Oh? So you have read some of it?"  
"There's nothing else to read in here"  
"Gee, thanks"  
"You're welcome"

The two sat in silence for a while longer until Shao Jun suddenly remembered something,  
"Wait, I do remember hearing about something. It is just gossip, but it is Avatar gossip so you might be interested"  
Shenhua looked at her cellmate with dull interest, "Oh?"  
"Well, I remember one of the guards making an offhand remark about the Avatar's latest relationship!"  
Any semblance of interest in what Shao Jun wanted to say faded, "Why would I care about that?"  
"Because the Avatar is with a woman!"  
Shenhua's interest piqued, "Oh?"  
"Yeah, I heard some guards talking about how it is unnatural. Y'know, stupid stuff like that"  
Shenhua's eyes widened and she grabbed the nearest pen.  
"What is it?" queried Shao Jun. Shenhua didn't respond, she haphazardly scribbled some writing on the nearest piece of paper. Once she was finished she enthusiastically passed it to Shao Jun, who grabbed it apprehensively.  
"No citizen of the Commonwealth will face discrimination or imprisonment based upon their sexual orientation" Shao Jun read aloud. She looked confused,  
"Why have you included that? Don't get me wrong, I agree with it, but it seems kind of tacked on"  
Shenhua chuckled, "It is a bargaining chip"  
"Hm?" Shao Jun mumbled as she looked at it closer, "I don't get it"  
Shenhua gave her a smug grin, "Well I do, and that's all that matters"

Shao Jun sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "I don't think I'll ever understand how your brain wor- Hang on, do you hear that?"  
Shenhua focused her ears and nodded. She peered out the window and noticed a large crowd gathered outside of the giant wooden prison, chanting something.  
"What the hell is going on out there?" said Shao Jun, unsure of what to make of this turn of events. Shenhua noticed the guards in the prison frantically running around, trying to silence the unsettled prisoners, who were yelling enthusiastically. She smirked and walked towards the prison bars.  
"Shao Jun. Stuff those papers somewhere."  
Shao Jun looked at Shenhua with a quizzical expression, "Huh?"  
"We're busting out!"  
Shao Jun grinned and stuffed the papers down her shirt. Shenhua lifted up her mattress and grabbed a folded black piece of fabric. She walked towards her window, which was just large enough to fit an arm through and waved the fabric around to rapturous applause outside.  
"What the hell did you do?" asked Shao Jun, who noticed the huge increase in volume. Shenhua unfolded the fabric, revealing a plain black flag.  
"The black flag holds a lot of power... Oh, I'd get away from the window if I were you"  
Shao Jun backed away from the window and leaned against the bars with Shenhua. After a minute or so a massive boulder careened through the wall of the prison. Shao Jun stared at the large chunk of rock, stunned.  
"Welp" said Shenhua as she observed the hole in the wall, "Let's go!"

A few hours earlier, on Air Temple Island Avatar Korra, along with Raiko, Tenzin, Wu and the rest of team Avatar prepared to board an airship heading for the Fire Nation. All of the world leaders, along with Prince Wu were going to discuss what would happen with the Earth Kingdom and its transition to democracy. In the meantime it was being governed by a group of advisers from the other nations.  
Korra was busy packing in her room, excited about the possibility of fixing the Earth Kingdom, something which she was unable to do after the Earth Queen was killed.  
She had returned from her vacation in the spirit world with Asami a month or so ago, and had already had fun breaking the news about the relationship to her close friends. Tenzin wasn't good with discussing relationships of any form and didn't really want to talk about it, Bolin couldn't care less that Korra and Asami were both women, he was just happy for the both of them and Mako, despite obviously getting flustered about the situation gave his blessing, and said that he was happy for the both of them.

A knock on the door caught Korra's attention, she turned her head and looked at the door, "Come in" she said. The door slid open and Korra smiled upon seeing Asami in the doorway.  
"Are you ready yet?" Asami asked.  
"Not yet" Korra replied, scratching her head. Asami crossed her arms and smirked,  
"I'm actually ready before you for once"  
"Well, there is a first time for everything"  
Asami walked up to Korra and wrapped her arms around her from behind, "Are you excited about helping fix up the Earth Kingdom?"  
Korra, who had stopped what she was doing placed her hands on Asami's arms, "Of course, and are you excited about getting contracts in the Fire Nation?"  
"Of course. The Fire Nation is the one place that Future Industries hasn't quite broken into"  
Korra leaned back and rested the back of her head on Asami's chest, "Oh? What are you going to sell to the Fire Nation?"  
Asami looked up at the roof and thought for a second, "Well, they are interested in my hummingbird mechs, and are also interested in working out a contract to re-design the capital's infrastructure"  
"Just like you did for Republic City?"  
"Yeah. The government there was impressed with my work here"  
Korra turned around and draped her arms over Asami's shoulders, "That's great, I am so happy for you"  
Asami's blushed slightly and she smiled, "Thank you"  
"You know, this isn't really helping you pack" she continued.  
"Oh? So you want to stop?" Korra replied slyly  
"Hang on, let's not get too hasty" Asami responded as she placed her hands on Korra's waist. The two leaned in for a kiss, but were interrupted by somebody clearing their throat in the doorway. Korra looked over at her new guest irritably, "What is it Tenzin?"  
"The airship is ready to leave" he replied nervously. He wasn't expecting to walk in on Korra and Asami like that.  
"You just love to suck the fun out of everything don't you?" Korra retorted.  
"Just hurry up" Tenzin responded, flustered, "You'll have plenty of time to do... Whatever it is you do on the ship" He sulked out of the room much to the amusement of Korra and Asami who both laughed at him. After he had gone they looked into each others eyes and shared a kiss before leaving the room, hand in hand.

On the bridge of the airship sat both Mako and Bolin. This trip was an uncanny mirror of a few years ago when Bolin convinced Mako to go with him to Ba Sing Se. Mako originally didn't want to go to the Fire Nation, however, Bolin convinced him by saying that they might run into their grandparents on their mother's side.  
Bolin darted his head from side, "Hey, where is everybody?"  
"Prince Wu has gone to the bathroom. Everybody else is still on the island" Mako replied.  
"Oh. Korra and Asami looking to get some alone time before we leave" Bolin responded cheekily. Mako cleared his throat and let out a slightly dignified "Probably"  
"Speaking of relationships, how are you and Opal doing?" asked Mako, changing the subject.  
"Oh Opal, so sweet... So... lovely..."  
"Uh, bro?"  
"Huh, what?"  
"How are you two doing?" Mako asked again, adding emphasis onto every word so that Bolin could hear it.  
"Oh, yeah, good! I don't mean to brag but she was pretty impressed at my job officiating Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding" Bolin replied smugly with his hands on the back of his head.  
"Where is she now?" Mako inquired  
"She's doing important Air Nation stuff in the Earth Kingdom" Bolin responded.

The conversation was broken when they saw President Raiko make his way onto the ship along with Tenzin.  
"Hey Tenzin, have you seen Korra?" asked Bolin.  
"She's uhm, with Asami" Tenzin mumbled,  
"Oh, those two lovebirds. Thought so." Bolin replied with a grin to which Tenzin wandered off.  
"Ah, it is so good to be able to go to the bathroom alone!" Prince Wu said with glee as he walked into the room.  
"Why do you say that every time you go?" Mako asked with a confused expression.  
"What? Aren't you proud of me?" Wu asked with a pathetic whimper. Mako buried his face into his hands and sighed. Wu chuckled and sat next to Mako. He patted him on the shoulder and smiled, "At least you get to go back to being a detective. I know how much you miss that job!"  
Mako removed his face from his hands and smiled, "Yeah, I really miss serving Republic City"  
"I know buddy, I know" Wu replied.  
Korra and Asami were next to board, and did so hand in hand.  
"Is that everyone?" asked the captain of the airship over the intercom. Asami held in a button on said intercom and confirmed that everybody was on board. The ramp receded into the airship and the giant vehicle took flight towards the Fire Nation.

The airship docked at the Fire Nation Capital's port after a journey that lasted a few hours. The door to the airship slowly opened and the ramp attached itself to the ground below.  
"Whoa" was all the Bolin could say. Row after row of buildings filled up the port, surrounding a large market smack in the middle. The city was bustling with life as vendors sold their goods to the citizens of the capital. In the near distance there were unmissable tall buildings, obviously modeled after those in Republic City. However, the thing that dominated the landscape was the huge extinct volcano in the distance. Inside the crater was the royal palace as well as the houses of government officials and other wealthy citizens.

"No, no, no! That goes there!" shouted a recognisable voice in the distance. Everybody knew who it was, there was no mistaking it.  
"V-Varrick?" said Bolin, upon seeing his old acquaintance. Varrick turned around along with Zhu Li and laughed heartily when he saw the group.  
"Hey! Well if it isn't you guys! What are you all doing here in the Fire Nation?"  
"We could ask you the same question" Mako replied deadpan.  
"The Fire Lord has commissioned me for some work! I am currently working on an amazing project!"  
"Oh yeah, what is it?" asked Bolin.  
"Trains... That travel in underground tunnels!" proclaimed Varrick with one hand on Bolin's shoulder, "I got the idea after Prince Wu told me that story about how he rescued those citizens by using badgermoles to tunnel away! I thought to myself, 'Wow! If I built rail _underground_ then we wouldn't have had that problem!'"  
"And Fire Lord Izumi liked that idea?" asked Bolin  
"Liked it?" Varrick replied, "She _loved_ it! Ya see kid, there is no room to build train tracks in the Fire Nation, unless we dig underground tunnels! Too many hills and buildings in the way!"  
"Oh, I see" Bolin responded.

"Is it just me, or do you always wear similar clothes to the people you're working for?" Korra said, pointing at the Fire Nation clothes that Varrick was wearing.  
"Well! It is as I always say, when in the Fire Nation, do as Firebenders do... Hang on, or was it when in the Metal Clan, do as Metalbenders do... Zhu Li! Which one was it again?"  
"You've never said either of those things before"  
"What! Anyway, I was just as surprised as you guys when Fire Lord Izumi asked me to do this. Normally the Fire Nation is pretty savvy with these things. Did you know that they have their own mechs! They saw the ones that Republic City made, and they made their own! Without our help! They're pretty terrifying too, they remind me of spider-rats! Four legs and can climb up walls. Eugh"  
"Hey!" Varrick suddenly screamed, pointing at a construction worker. He stomped off without saying anything to the group and Zhu Li followed, after giving a little bow.  
"Is it just me, or does he pop up wherever we go?" asked Asami  
"Nope. He actually does" Korra replied, unamused.  
"It is like he has this weird sixth sense that tells him where we're going to be" added Mako,  
"Oh come on guys, Varrick isn't that bad" Bolin chimed in, to which the rest of the group gave irritated expressions.

"Avatar Korra?" said somebody with an unfamiliar voice. She turned around to see a man who looked to be in his mid thirties, "I am Senator Tozen, if you would kindly follow me" he gestured towards two satomobiles. Korra, Asami, Bolin and Mako sat in one, whilst Raiko, Tenzin, Tozen and Wu sat in the other.  
"This isn't a Future Industries satomobile" noted Asami who was closely observing the interior of the vehicle.  
"Well Varrick did say that the Fire Nation is savvy about these things. It isn't hard to believe that they've made their own" Korra said.  
After a half-hour drive the satomobile stopped and the doors were opened from the outside.  
"Whoa" Bolin said upon seeing the huge palace. The area that it occupied wasn't as large as the Earth Kingdom's palace, however the Fire Nation's was taller, and arguably more ornate from the outside.  
"I apologise for making you get off at the port, but there isn't a whole lot of space here for an airship to dock" Tozen said, stepping out of the other satomobile.  
"That's fine" Korra assured Tozen.  
"Now this is a palace!" proclaimed Wu.  
Out of the corner of her eye Korra noticed a familiar face, "Lord Zuko" she said with a smile and a bow, which Zuko returned.  
"It is good to see you Avatar Korra, and of course all of your friends as well"  
Zuko's train of thought was broken when he noticed Korra and Asami holding hands. He smiled and gave a little chuckle,  
"It is nice to see that you've found somebody Korra. Aang once told me that my grandfather, Avatar Roku claimed that being the Avatar doesn't hurt your chances with the ladies. Kind of funny in hindsight is it not?"  
Korra and Asami smiled and looked each other in the eyes. Zuko gave a friendly smile, reminded of the relationship between Aang and Katara.  
"If you would all follow me" Tozen said politely, interrupting Zuko's reminiscence.  
The group followed Tozen to a lovely house not far from the palace. The interior was filled with elegant carvings of dragons and lavish orange and red embroidery on the carpets. On the walls were detailed paintings of landscapes found throughout the Fire Nation, most of which had borders decorated with rubies and other red, orange and yellow gemstones.  
"This is amazing" Korra said, observing the beautiful room.  
"Korra. I am sorry to drag you away so soon, but we have to leave now" said Zuko. He also motioned for Wu, Raiko and Tenzin to follow him.

The group followed Zuko into the palace and were soon met with a large red door with a shining golden trim.  
The room behind the door was huge, almost menacing in its appearance. A large wall of fire flickered at the other end of the room, and behind it was a throne. In the middle of the room was a low table with cushions around it. Izumi, Desna, Eska and Tonraq were already sitting down.  
"This room is a bit uhm" Korra began,  
"Intimidating?" Tenzin finished.  
"Yeah, something like that"  
"The Fire Nation has always had a certain... Interesting aesthetic"  
The people who just walked in sat down on the cushions around the long table. On top of it was a map of the Earth Kingdom with lines dividing the various states and red dots marking out large cities such as Omashu and Zaofu.  
"Avatar Korra, Welcome" Izumi said warmly, offering her a seat close by, just across from where Zuko would sit.  
"President Raiko" she said flatly with a slight nod. The two didn't get along, ever since Izumi wouldn't partake in an invasion of the Earth Kingdom to stop Kuvira.

Everybody took their seats and the ensuing awkward silence was broken by Raiko.  
"Okay, Prince Wu's insistence on abolishing the monarchy has put us in a difficult position. We have to work out how exactly we are going to go about establishing a new government" Raiko stated.  
"We need to figure this out soon. I don't think that the citizens of the Earth Kingdom really appreciate being governed by advisers from the other nations" added Tonraq.  
"I still don't think that transitioning from a monarchy so soon is a good idea. The Earth Kingdom, first and foremost needs stability. Once the country has returned to normal then we can have a serious discussion" Tenzin retorted.  
Izumi sighed and adjusted her glasses, "Are you sure that you don't want to be king Prince Wu? We could set up a similar system to the one we have here in the Fire Nation, where people elect leaders, but they still have a monarch"  
"I agree with Fire Lord Izumi" Tenzin added, "For the moment that seems like the most logical option"  
"Or, we could copy the United Republic" Raiko rebutted, "We were able to set up a democracy fairly simply. Let's just copy the process"  
"Yes, but the Earth Kingdom is nothing like the United Republic" Tenzin responded, "For one, it is much larger, and it is also broken up into states, each with their own leaders"  
"Well unfortunately it is the only example we have"  
"Then let's create another example!"  
"And how would we go about doing that?"  
The tension between Raiko and Tenzin threatened to tear the room apart until Zuko, who was getting increasingly annoyed summoned a huge burst of flames and directed them into the sky. The room became deathly quiet. It was as if Zuko's flames alone demanded respect.

"I think we should ask the Avatar what she thinks. Korra. What do you think the best solution is?"  
Korra looked down at the map of the Earth Kingdom, clearly thinking about her answer.  
"I don't think we should impose too much. Just because the United Republic's way works for the United Republic, it doesn't mean that it will for the Earth Kingdom. Same for the Fire Nation's way. The Earth Kingdom needs to create its own path. We can help, but they need to figure this out. I had to watch as my tribe was invaded by the north who attempted to force their ways upon us. I don't want to force anything onto the Earth Kingdom"  
Zuko smiled and nodded.  
"I'm with the avatar here" Prince Wu chimed in, "We can use the United Republic as an example, but we'll need to help the Earth Kingdom find its own way"  
Izumi removed her glasses and rubbed her temples, "It will be hard, but I am willing to trust the avatar's judgment"

Suddenly the doors to the throne room swung open and Tozen stormed in. Izumi stood up, clearly aggravated at this interruption.  
"What is it Tozen? We're in a meeting!"  
"I am sorry my lord, but I have some urgent news. The Great Wood Prison has been stormed by angry citizens. Two of the prisoners were freed and things such as materials and weapons have been stolen"  
"Oh no" said Tenzin who looked worried.  
"What's the 'Great Wood Prison'?" asked Korra.  
"After you were poisoned we actively hunted down members of the Red Lotus. That prison was where we put them" answered Raiko.  
"This is very unsettling" lamented Izumi, resting her chin on her interlocked fingers.  
"I find it hard to believe that the citizens of Ba Sing Se would break out Red Lotus members, I assume that there is another motive" Zuko added.  
"Even so, just _two_ escaped prisoners could be trouble" Tonraq said.  
"Who were the prisoners that escaped?" asked Tenzin.  
Tozen reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper, "Uh, Shao Jun and Shenhua"  
"Hm. Kuvira told us that they had _dangerous ideas_. They aren't benders, however, they have smooth tongues, and can rally a crowd. We really need to be careful." Tonraq replied.  
"I think that we need to go to Ba Sing Se" Korra stated assertively.

Shao Jun made a loud, exaggerated sniffing sound and moved her hands around her nose like she was inviting the dank smells of the lower ring into her senses.  
"Hmmmm, I've missed the smell of poverty"  
Shenhua looked at her like she was nuts.  
"What? I am sick of the smell of wood! It feels like I've lived in a tree for the past two and a half years"  
They were in what was quite possibly the worst area of Ba Sing Se. The muddy ground squelched as they walked and their feet got stuck on more than one occasion. In the near distance the smoke from a factory made visibility awful and could easily burn one's eyes. Shenhua covered her nose with her clothes and her eyes started to water, "Eugh, I think I'm gonna be sick"

They arrived at an unassuming tea house and could finally breathe without wanting to throw up once they were inside. The tea house was packed with people, all of whom were riled up about something. It was virtually impossible to move and when Shenhua tried she ended up ramming her thigh into the corner of a table. She winced in pain and sat down after almost stumbling over somebody's foot.  
"Hey, what's going on?" asked Shenhua towards a young man who was sitting down at the table with a cup of tea. Despite the fact that an agitated crowd was standing on top of it.  
"Word has it that Wu is looking to abdicate. He wants to create a new government without the monarchy. With an elected leader, like the United Republic"  
Shenhua's eyes widened, she saw this as her chance to take power and change things.  
"Well. It'll probably be the aristocrats who take power. It's what they do" the man said bluntly as he sipped his tea.  
Shenhua smirked, "I'll find a way to power. I have a tendency to get what I want"  
The man chuckled, "I like that attitude. Name's Zhengde, what's yours?"  
"Shenhua, and this is my friend Shao Jun"  
Zhengde's eyes widened and he slowly put down his cup, "Shenhua? _The_ Shenhua? Leader of the Humanists?"  
"I was. They sold me out" Shenhua growled, "Their views became more extreme and didn't align with mine. So they turned me in to Kuvira to get rid of me. She threw me into the Great Wood Prison. That's where I met Shao Jun here."  
"I am sorry to hear that" Zhengde replied solemnly "And what is your affiliation?" he continued towards Shao Jun.  
"I was a member of the Red Lotus. We had a falling out years ago, but I was thrown in prison anyway"  
"Red Lotus?" queried Zhengde  
"Buncha pricks" Shao Jun scowled, "That's all you need to know"  
"Hey, do you know why the Wood Prison was attacked?" asked Shenhua.  
Zhengde leaned back in his chair and rested his hands on the back of his head, "Well, most of the people here in the lower ring are angry that the other nations are essentially running the Earth Kingdom. Not only that, but the people in the middle and upper ring are being blatantly favoured. They stormed the place to steal weapons and explosives. Apparently there are some who are planning attacks on places in the middle ring. The whole situation here is a mess. A powder keg waiting to explode"  
Shenhua smirked, as if she had formulated a plan, "Well then. Let's poke the platypus-bear with a stick and see what happens" 

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A/N: So yeah, things are beginning to be put into motion. I just had to visit the Fire Nation because I missed them in Legend of Korra. I also just had to give them spider tanks for no real reason other than it was cool. Anyway, until next time guys!


	2. A Radical Idea

A/N: I apologise profusely for the delay between chapters. Lots of things have been happening in my personal life. Unfortunately that has meant that I have had little time to focus on my fanfiction. I am hoping that I will be able to update this story more frequently now. 

* * *

Shenhua pushed through the mass of people that crowded the teahouse. She reached the front and was helped up by a man who was a few years younger than her,  
"Shenhua! It is good to see you again!" he said with glee  
"Wai Yu, it is been a while," she replied with a sly grin. She looked over at the crowd. It was hard to believe that a teahouse so small could fit so many people. Some had resorted to standing on the tables in order to accommodate more people,  
"Impressive crowd you have drummed up here," she said half-heartedly,  
Wai Yu looked at her and smirked, "Are you unimpressed?"  
"A little, I could've drawn a bigger crowd by myself,"  
He chuckled, "Yeah, you probably could have,"  
"How did we do in getting supplies from the prison?"  
"We did okay. Unfortunately the soldiers guarding the place destroyed most of the equipment before we could get to it,"  
"Well, I appreciate the effort. If it wasn't for that mob I would have been stuck in there with Shao Jun,"  
Wai Yu looked towards the back of the establishment and noticed Shao Jun waving at him, he waved back,  
"Oh come on, she isn't that bad,"  
Shenhua scoffed, "Oh please, you are only saying that because you dated her,"  
"Shut up," Wai Yu scowled, his flustered expression amused Shenhua.  
"A guy back there named 'Zhengde' informed me that the other nations are essentially running the Earth Kingdom,"  
"He's right, Wu has also decided to abdicate,"  
"Yeah, so I've heard,"  
"Do you think this is our chance?"  
Shenhua stretched her arms, almost hitting Wai Yu in the process,  
"We probably won't get any better chances,"  
"I doubt that the rest of the world will just let us waltz into power, these are the same people who thought that it would be a good idea to let Kuvira rule,"  
"That's why we fight for it,"  
Wai Yu looked at Shenhua with a surprised expression, "Three years ago you were against 'fighting for the cause', what has changed?"  
"I guess time in prison can change your perspective. I have come to the realisation that a revolution without violence is a laughable idea. Especially if the whole world is against you,"  
"Perhaps."

The crowd started applauding and an angry citizen stepped down. Wai Yu elbowed Shenhua slightly. She nodded and wandered over to where people had been voicing their opinions. She took a deep breath and banged her fist into the wall, grabbing the attention of everybody in the teahouse,

"Today I have had the honour of listening to the suggestions of my fellow Earth Kingdom citizens. Unfortunately though, it seems as though the 'world leaders' won't be listening to the citizens of the Earth Kingdom. As we speak they domineer, they rip up the foundations upon which the Earth Kingdom was built and attempt to install a puppet government that is acceptable to them. Our 'glorious and benevolent king' has decided to step down, but we all know what happens next. The President of the United Republic will try to impose his system on us, because hey, what works for them will work for us! The Fire Lord will try to convince our 'oh so wonderful king' to stay on the throne because the Fire Nation cannot accept the fact that we don't want a goddamn king!"  
The crowd started to applaud, Wai Yu smiled warmly and nodded with every word. He had missed her speeches. She spit out her words with venom and bit the air with the ferocity of a pitbull. Frightening, but captivating at the same time,  
"I propose something new, something radical. Democracy for the Earth Kingd- Nay, the Earth Commonwealth! A land where every man and every woman has the right to self-determination, the right to freedom! And if the world leaders wish to impose themselves upon us we will fight back! We must! The people of the Earth Commonwealth are crying for change, _their_ change! Not the 'change' being requested by our 'wonderful king', Thank you,"  
The crowd erupted into rapturous applause as Shenhua walked back over to Wai Yu. She shook the hands of the people below who hung on to her every word.

"You've still got it," Wai Yu said as he patted Shenhua's shoulder,  
"Of course, but this is only the beginning. We need to work up a solid plan, otherwise, we'll get nowhere really quick. I don't want to make the same mistakes as last time."

"Where are you two going?" Asami asked Bolin and Mako as they were about to leave,  
"To a place called Tuyen. I have no idea where that is, but we're going to find out," Bolin responded excitedly,  
"Tuyen?" Asami replied,  
"Yeah, it was mentioned in a letter that Dad sent to our Grandmother. Apparently it is where Mom grew up,"  
"Oh, really?"  
"Yup!"  
Asami raised an eyebrow, "And uh, how exactly do you plan to get to this place if you don't even know where it is?"  
Bolin put his hand to his chin, "Well, uhm. I uh, don't know,"  
"I told you that we should've bought a map of the Fire Nation before we left," Mako muttered irritably,  
"Actually, there might be one here," Asami piped in, "This is a house for guests after all, it would make sense for one to be around here somewhere,"  
Asami searched a couple of drawers before triumphantly pulling out a large, folded sheet of paper. She sprawled it across the table. It was relatively stylised, not an incredibly realistic depiction. More of a tourist map than anything else. The three scanned the map for a few seconds before Mako spoke up and pointed to a spot on the far western side of the main island,  
"Here it is, Tuyen,"  
"Oh, that looks pretty close!" Bolin replied with excitement. Asami cupped the side of her face with her hand and thought for a moment,  
"Wait," she interjected, "There is a mountain range that divides the main island in two. I'm willing to bet that any train would have to go around it, meaning that you guys might be in for a long ride,"  
"That's okay!" Bolin proclaimed, "I'm just excited to see where Mom grew up!"  
Asami smiled warmly and looked at Mako, "What about you Mako? You're a firebender, you must feel at home here,"  
"Well uhh, a little I suppose,"  
Bolin grabbed Mako's arm and pulled him towards the door, "Come on Mako! To Central Station we go!"

Not long after, Korra came rushing through the house,  
"Where are you going?" asked Asami, concerned at Korra speed walking towards the door with her bags.  
"Ba Sing Se. Bad things are happening there right now" Korra answered sternly.  
"Like what?" Asami asked  
"Two members of the Red Lotus have been busted out of the prison and people are rioting. I have to go and settle things down"  
Asami grabbed Korra's hand and turned her around to face her. She placed her other hand on Korra's cheek and smiled warmly, "Be careful"  
Korra smiled and placed her hand over Asami's, "I will, and good luck with your meeting"  
"Thank you" Asami replied before kissing Korra goodbye.  
Korra exited the house and sighed,  
"Nothing can ever be simple," she muttered,  
"Korra," said a familiar voice, breaking her line of thought. It was Fire Lord Izumi, and she was with a man whom Korra hadn't seen yet. He bowed, Korra bowed in return,  
"This is Tuan, Prime Minister of the Fire Nation. He will be accompanying you to the Earth Kingdom,"  
"You can't come with us?"  
"I have some events that I need to attend here in the Fire Nation, but I trust Tuan, and his judgement,"  
Korra smiled, "Well, I trust your judgement,"  
Izumi smiled politely and bowed her head slightly. Korra returned the favour,  
"I am pleased to be able to finally work with you," Tuan said politely after Izumi had left,  
"I appreciate you coming along," Korra replied. The two started to walk towards the satomobile that would take them to their airship,  
"What do you make of this situation?" asked Korra. Tuan thought for a few seconds as he entered the satomobile along with Korra,  
"I am on your side Korra. I think that it is important for the people of the Earth Kingdom to decide their own fate, however, I also feel that Prince Wu's decision to abdicate so suddenly may have negative consequences. The solution may be about finding some middle ground. In any case, I feel that we need more information before we jump to dangerous conclusions,"  
Korra looked out the window of the vehicle and sighed as it zoomed away from the Caldera. This wasn't going to be easy, at all.

Mako and Bolin looked up at the massive building before them, eyes wide. The signage on the roof was a shiny gold, with the words 'Fire Nation Central Station' embossed upon it. Coming in and out of the station were government officials and bureaucrats wearing formal black clothes, most of which had an orange or red trim. The structure itself sat on stilts that were around five metres tall. Two set of stairs ascended towards the elevated section of the station proper. There was another set of stairs between them leading to an underground section, but it was closed off to the public. The roof, like most others in the Fire Nation was steep and triangular, descending from an elongated pinnacle into curved, flame-like eaves. The two walked up the stairs onto the upper level of the station. The stairs led to an elevated concourse which was in the shape of a horseshoe. Below the concourse were the platforms, there were twelve in total. The station itself was actually rather open, allowing the clean air from outside to sweep through. Along the concourse were various stalls as well as seats and ticket booths.  
"There should be a map somewhere that can tell us which train to take," Mako muttered,  
"Why don't we just go and ask at that information booth?" Bolin replied. Mako agreed.  
They made their way to an information booth which was manned by somebody who looked to be around the same age as them. He looked at Mako and Bolin with a disinterested look,  
"Yes?"  
Bolin cleared his throat, "Do you know to get to a place called Tuyen?"  
The young man sighed and reached under his desk, pulling out a map. He placed it in front of Bolin and Mako. It was a map of the Fire Nation with coloured lines running across it. The young man pointed to a small dot on the far western side of the Fire Nation. Asami was correct, the train line circled around the outside of the main island before reaching Tuyen itself.  
"Tuyen is here, you have to catch the Kanda train to get there, thank you," He leaned back in his chair, continuing to look disinterested. Mako and Bolin walked away, towards the ticketing booth.  
"Gee, he had lots of personality" Mako growled.  
"Well, at least we know how to get to Tuyen!" Bolin proclaimed excitedly. Mako grinned a little, he was excited, even if he didn't outwardly show it.

Upon reaching the ticket booth, Bolin strolled up to the person behind the counter confidently,  
"Two tickets to Tuyen my good sir!"  
"Okay, that'll be 3 and 8,"  
Bolin reached into his pocket and attempted to count the coins. He looked up at the employee with an embarrassed smile before scratching his head. Mako groaned and snatched the coins from Bolin's hands. He counted them quickly and spread them out on the counter. The employee bowed politely and gave Mako some copper pieces in change. Bolin raised an eyebrow in confusion and meekly thanked the employee before following Mako to the platform. The trains themselves were pretty similar to the ones that shuttled passengers fair distances from the United Republic, albeit, slightly sleeker. The outside was also a dark, burgundy red with a golden trim, and the windows were far simpler, just a solid sheet of glass. Bolin grabbed Mako's shirt and pulled him onto the train, once they were on board Mako was able to break free. He looked at his brother irritably, but Bolin didn't seem to notice.  
The interior was fairly different, for one the colour scheme for the walls was an almost creamy white. The roof had lights that hugged the roof every few metres, covered up by a flat piece of plastic so that the globe wasn't exposed. The seats were a cherry red, which was to be expected, and the curtains were a darker, maroon. The carpet was orange and was rather soft. The two took their seats opposite each other, and next to a window. A few minutes later the train started to move, and they were on their way to Tuyen.

"Why exactly are you interested in my hummingbird mechs?" asked Asami curiously. Oreki, the man who had asked to meet her, smirked and motioned for Asami to follow him. He led her towards a large warehouse in the heart of an industrial area on the docks. He slid the large door open and invited Asami inside. She found herself in a pitch black room, unable to see anything.  
"Whoops, hang on" Oreki said as he tried to find the light switches, "Ah, here we go!" he said as loud clicking sounds rang throughout the large space. Bright lights flickered on and off a few times before the entire interior was illuminated.  
"Wow" Asami said with a stunned expression, "What are these things?"  
"These Asami, are Spider Tanks!" Oreki proclaimed proudly, pointing at the rows of large 4 metre tall contraptions. They were painted a glossy black with the Fire Nation insignia on the side. Each of them had four legs, made to look like a spider's and were attached to a square cockpit. On the front of the cockpit were two thin cannons which could fire explosives as well as an electrically charged cord, similar to the mechs that Kuvira utilised.  
"We saw the mechs that your father designed, and the ones that Varrick 'improved' for Kuvira. We loved the idea but we felt that there were flaws. They are far too slow and easy to knock over. How do you think we tried to remedy that with our 'Spider-Tanks'?"  
Asami walked over to one of the tanks and placed her hand on one of its legs, "They aren't as easy to knock over because the legs are spread out, making it more stable. As for speed, I am guessing that you have attached wheels somewhere to the legs"  
Oreki clapped his hands and chuckled, "Correct! Notice how the 'feet' are square?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Well, when it is being used, wheels pop out at the bottom of the feet, allowing for really fast movement. When the tank encounters rough terrain, or, if the driver wants to climb up a building or a wall, the wheels pop back up"  
Asami nodded, observing the tanks while she did, "So, I'll ask again, why is the Fire Nation so interested in my mechs?"  
"The military tactics of the Fire Nation these days are focused on speed. Blitzing your opponents so that they don't know what hit them. With that in mind your hummingbird mechs and these 'Spider-Tanks' would be a good match would they not?"  
"But the Fire Nation hasn't fought a war in nearly 80 years, why do you need to worry about these sorts of things?"  
"The world is dangerous Asami, and the Fire Nation isn't exactly the most well liked country in the world. The scars that remain after the Hundred Year War still burn, and we must always be prepared for a time when our sovereignty is threatened. The tanks themselves aren't really used for warfare anyway. They are mostly used for rescue operations during volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, your hummingbird mechs could really help us in those situations,"

Around a long table sat a diverse group of people, with one thing in common, they wanted to see the foundation of the Earth Commonwealth become a reality. Sitting in a group of three were Shenhua, Shao Jun and Wai Yu. Shenhua was the de-facto leader of the group, Wai Yu, her second in command. There were four others: Zhengde, whom Shenhua had met earlier, Xiue Gao, a rather petite woman, but an incredibly talented earthbender, Sung-Yeung, a prominent politician from the far western Earth Kingdom who had moved to Ba Sing Se three years ago and Hui, the oldest of the group.  
Despite the common goal, they all had differing ideas regarding how this theoretical nation would function. The first five minutes of the meeting was a shouting match until Xiue banged her fist on the table,  
"Look, we are not going to get anywhere if all we do here is squabble!"  
Sung-Yeung sighed and buried his face into his hands, "She is right, we need to co-operate here,"  
"I don't see why we just can't do what we did last time? Y'know, after the Earth Queen was killed?" Shao Jun asked,  
"We took over Ba Sing Se under the Humanist banner three years ago. A movement with the support of most people in the lower ring. They were willing to put us in power. We don't have that luxury this time," Xiue answered,  
"Why can't we just say that we are the Humanists, and we're back to help the Earth Kingdom?" Shao Jun retorted,  
"Because the Humanist movement doesn't have nearly as much support as it once did," Shenhua replied solemnly,  
"Well, the Humanists would probably still be in power if you didn't screw it up," Hui muttered. Shenhua shot him a glare, "You know why we couldn't stay in power!"  
"Yeah, yeah, it's all Raiko's fault right?"  
"Do I detect sarcasm there?" Shenhua spat back,  
"No, of course not," Hui replied coarsely. Xiue pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration,  
"That's the past, we need to forget about it and focus on the future,"  
"Unfortunately we are not going to get anywhere unless we have the support of the other nations. We all remember what happened last time," Zhengde piped in,  
"He's right unfortunately," Sung-Yeung replied,  
"Raiko didn't support us last time, I don't see why he'd support us now," Shenhua added solemnly,  
"That was different," Wai Yu said, his hand to his chin, "When we took over three years ago we were different, we were radical, you could even say that we were extremists. I gather that we have changed our tune since then, we are all rather moderate, correct?"  
The seven of them nodded in agreement.  
"So, if Wu is genuine about letting the people of the Earth Kingdom decide their own fate, then we should have the support of the world leaders," Wai Yu continued,  
"Call me cynical, but I don't think that it will be that simple," Hui countered,  
"I think that Hui is right," Zhengde added.  
The group sat in silence for about a minute before Shenhua spoke up again, "What about the other groups in Ba Sing Se? Perhaps we could strike up some sort of deal with them?"  
"Maybe, but what's your idea?" Xiue asked uncomfortably,  
"We could form a government together, and people could vote for which group they want in power?"  
"Perhaps," Xiue answered. Hui banged his fist on the table, "So you'd give up power just like that?!"  
Shenhua stood up out of her chair, "It is the only option we have! We are not strong enough to take power by ourselves!"  
Hui stood up as well, "Bull! We are strong enough!"  
"No, we're not!"  
Hui glared at Shenhua, "Maybe _you_ aren't strong enough!"  
"Do you have a problem with me?!" Shenhua barked,  
"Yeah! I do actually!" Hui growled,  
"Come on-"  
"Stay out of this Xiue!" Shenhua snapped, "What is your problem Hui?!"  
"My problem is that you aren't strong enough to lead! You had your chance three years ago! And you blew it! Now you just expect to come back and try again like nothing happened! Give me a damn break!"  
"You know damn well why we failed last time Hui!"  
"Riiiiight, Raiko. Maybe you are just shifting the blame because you cannot accept the fact that you're a failure!"  
"Enough!" Sung-Yeung bellowed, earthbending the table straight up at the roof in anger. It came back down and fell apart as soon as it hit the ground,  
"Well, someone's unhappy," Zhengde joked. The others looked around uncomfortably. Hui sat back down angrily and crossed his arms. Shenhua was left standing and coughed nervously,  
"Sorry about that," she sat back down. Wai Yu looked at her worriedly, "Do you have any more ideas?"  
Shenhua clutched her forehead, "Xiue, I want you to contact some of the other groups around Ba Sing Se, see if they would be interested in our proposal,"  
Xiue nodded.  
"Sung-Yeung, I want you to contact Suyin Beifong in Zaofu, and Wei, the King of Omashu. I would like to meet them. They are pivotal to my idea. You are a well-known politician around there, you'd have some decent pull,"  
"Okay," Sung-Yeung said with a smile,  
"As for the rest of you, I will think of something for you to do later," Shenhua stood up and ran a hand through her hair, "I am going, I will be at the teahouse if you need me."


End file.
